Chicken Cutlets with Grape-Shallot Sauce

Description:

One of the Test Kitchen’s favorites, this quick sauté pairs wine and grapes in a luscious sauce for pan-seared chicken breasts. If you’ve never used grapes in a sauce before—try it—you won’t be disappointed. This is simple enough for a weeknight, but elegant enough for entertaining. Make it a meal: Serve with brown basmati rice or mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed chard.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 chicken breast cutlets, trimmed (about 1 pound)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

5 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1 cup thinly sliced shallots

2 cups halved seedless green or red grapes

1 cup white wine

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1

Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour (reserve excess flour). Heat 3 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden on the first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, turn the chicken and cook until the other side is golden, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

2

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add grapes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 5 teaspoons of the reserved flour; stir to coat. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in parsley.

3

Return the chicken to the pan, turning to coat with sauce, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with the sauce.